Forgery: AGF okays ex-Assemblies of God Church leader for trial

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has okayed forgery charge against former General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Church, Reverend Paul Emeka.A document sighted by Vanguard on Sunday revealed that the Inspector General of Police returned Rev. Emeka’s case-file to the AGF following a letter dated June 18, which was signed by the immediate past Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Mr. Mohammed Diri.

Equally attached to the documents Police submitted to the AGF included a full investigation report on a complaint the Incorporated Trustees of the Assemblies of God Nigeria lodged against erstwhile leader of the church.

Already, an Abuja Upper Area Court sitting at Gudu has fixed September 19 for hearing on the charge marked CR/1081/2015‎. The cleric was in the charge, alleged to have forged a Professorial Certificate of University of Derby, Derbyshire, England.

He was alleged to had presented himself to the Assemblies of God Nigeria as a Professor from the University, following which he was made one of the Trustees of the Church in 2012.

However, the University, in a disclaimer letter dated January 15, 2015 and signed by its Head Of Governance and IT Portfolio, Mr. James Eaglesfield, disowned the defendant, saying it never issued Professorial Certificate to him.

In the First Information Report, FIR, before the court, the church which said it was duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, said upon the discovery, it sacked the defendant as one of its Trustees on April 30, 2015.

“The complainant being renowned churches that commit afford to harbor such criminal Act, removed the defendant as one of their trustees and reported the matter to the Nigeria Police for investigation and subsequent prosecution.

“The defendant was invited by the Nigeria Police at Force Headquarters Abuja and he insisted that he is a professor and presented the said forged certificate to the police, he was granted administrative bail by the police”.

According to the charge, the offence allegedly committed by the defendant is punishable under sections 363, 364 and 366 of the Penal Code.

However, the defendant had through his lawyer, Mr. J. U. Ajii, also dragged the church before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, challenging the competence of the charge against him.